Roger Federer news ruled the day, but still the biggest question in men’s tennis on this day remains: Who will take the last two coveted spots in the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.
The answer will be known in several days time. One thousand massive ranking points are staring several of the pursuers right in the face. Will it be Tsonga? Or Tipsarevic? Or perhaps Gasquet? Or maybe Almagro? Who will sneak into play among the Elite Eight next week?
The Paris Masters title has been won by Tomas Berydch, Nikolay Davydenko, David Nalbandian and Robin Soderling in past years and NOT yet by Rafael Nadal or Andy Murray, or before last year, Federer.
So the pick here is not a top five player, but someone who needs the win the most. Of course Murray skipped Basel to rest of for Paris and this has been Murray’s year to win the one he hasn’t before (see Olympics and US Open).
Novak Djokovic is locked in a battle for the year-end World No. 1 spot with Federer so you know he’s going to give it all he’s got in Paris in hopes of winning it for a second time as he beat Gael Monfils in the 2009 final.
Interesting first-day matchups in Paris on Monday include Marcos Baghdatis against home country favorite Gilles Simon with Baghdatis holding a 2-1 career head-to-head advantage.
The U.S. doubles pairing of John Isner and Sam Querrey gets into action on Monday, as well, as they face the always tough British pairing of Colin Fleming and Ross Hutchins.
Monday’s scheduled order of play:
CENTER COURT
Martin Klizan (SVK) vs. Andreas Seppi (ITA)
Kevin Anderson (RSA) vs. Thomaz Bellucci (BRA)
Viktor Troicki (SRB) vs. Julien Benneteau (FRA)
Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) vs. Gilles Simon (FRA)
Pablo Andujar (ESP) vs. [WC] Benoit Paire (FRA)
COURT 1
Carlos Berlocq (ARG) vs. Denis Istomin (UZB)
Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) vs. [Q] Jerzy Janowicz (POL)
Florian Mayer (GER) vs. [Q] Alejandro Falla (COL)
Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) vs. Marcel Granollers (ESP)
Albert Ramos (ESP) vs. Feliciano Lopez (ESP)
COURT 2
John Isner (USA) / Sam Querrey (USA) vs. Colin Fleming (GBR) / Ross Hutchins (GBR)
Jeremy Chardy (FRA) / Lukasz Kubot (POL) vs. Marin Cilic (CRO) / Marcelo Melo (BRA)
Christopher Kas (GER) / Andreas Seppi (ITA) vs. Julian Knowle (AUT) / Filip Polasek (SVK)
Topics: almagro, Andy Murray, ATP World Tour Finals, David Nalbandian, French tennis news, Gasquet, Nikolay Davydenko, Novak Djokovic, Paris Masters, Roger Federer, Sports, Tennis News, Tipsarevic, Tomas Berydch, Tsonga